LETTER: Keep staff at Galesburg Social Security office
Editor, Register-Mail: Dear Congresswoman Bustos, I have watched with grave concern over the last few years as the Galesburg Social Security office has suffered serious personnel attrition. The Galesburg office has always been staffed with hard working, dedicated, and knowledgeable professionals. When I started working with the office in 2010 there were, I believe, nine employees. It has come to my attention beginning Jan. 1, 2022, there will be only two full time and one part-time employee.
I’ve heard tales of frustration with local office personnel from my colleagues in other parts of the country with whom I communicate. I’m a member of the National Association of Disability Representatives, we share information through a dedicated listserv. I’ve always considered myself very fortunate to work with the Galesburg office.
It would be a grave disservice to the people of Knox, Warren, Henderson, McDonough, and Fulton counties to let this office wither and die. Many of my clients do not have high speed internet, nor are they computer literate. They regularly experience problems which they can only fix by dealing with the local office in person. Going to Peoria or Rock Island is impossible for many people. They don’t have cars, don’t have valid licenses, and the cost of a 90-mile round trip is not feasible
Letting calls to the office roll over to the national SSA hotline would be an enormous mistake. I gave up a long time ago trying to get useful information from the national hotline. Hold times regularly exceed half an hour, and for my clients, phone minutes are at a premium. In addition, Social Security is an incredibly complex system. Disinformation given out by well-meaning operators will have detrimental real-world repercussions to your constituents.
It was the late Senator Hubert Humphrey who said “The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in shadows of life, the sick, the needy, and the handicapped.” Please look into this immediately and let me know what your office is doing to address this situation. Find a way to help those most in need and do not fail Senator Humphrey’s challenge. Sincerely, — Michael J. Mannino, Galesburg
This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: LETTER: Keep staff at Galesburg Social Security office
